Sean 'Diddy' Combs officially opened Capital Prep Harlem Charter School on August 29, 2016 in New York City. The rapper and mogul, a Harlem native, approached Capital Preparatory Schools in 2011 with the idea of opening a school in his hometown, with the goal of "[expanding] educational opportunities for young men and women in Harlem and [building] leaders from the community." Over the next five years, Combs worked with the founder of Capital Prep, Dr. Steve Perry, "to build community support and enlist a team of educators, parents and business leaders to bring the idea to fruition."
"Creating this school is a dream come true for me," Combs said in a release. "I want to impact the lives of young people in my community, and build future leaders. The first step is offering access to a quality education."